


Dream a Little Dream of Me

by king_finn



Series: What A Wonderful World [7]
Category: The Witcher (TV), Wiedźmin | The Witcher - All Media Types
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia Whump, M/M, Nightmares, Slice of Life, Whumptober 2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-07
Updated: 2020-10-07
Packaged: 2021-03-08 04:35:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,151
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26879821
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/king_finn/pseuds/king_finn
Summary: He gasps awake, bolting upright, his skin soaked in sweat, breath coming in fast gasps as his heart thrums loudly in his ears. It takes a while for him to register a soft voice next to him, whispering soothing words into his ear, and even longer for him to feel the warm hand on his shoulder.“It’s alright,” Jaskier whispers, thumb rubbing gentle circles into his skin. “Just a nightmare. Deep breaths, Geralt, everything’s alright, it’s alright.”Geralt has a nightmare.
Relationships: Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia/Jaskier | Dandelion
Series: What A Wonderful World [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1951405
Comments: 12
Kudos: 207
Collections: Click Here If You’re Looking for a Distraction from the 2020 Presidential Election, Whumptober 2020





	Dream a Little Dream of Me

**Author's Note:**

> Day 7 of Whumptober! Today's prompt is: nightmares.
> 
> Title from Dream a Little Dream of Me by Doris Day.
> 
> As always, thank you for reading, I hope you enjoy, and don't hesitate to leave kudos and a comment!

He gasps awake, the leftover sweat from a nightmare still clinging to his skin as he frantically looks around the clearing, willing his heartrate to go down, his breathing to even out. He sighs when there’s no threat to be seen or heard other than the remnants of his nightmare – though those are already fading out of his mind. He doesn’t even know what it was about, anymore.

He sighs, laying down again, staring up at the stars. It won’t be long until sunrise.

This isn’t the first time he’s had a nightmare – and it definitely won’t be the last. Life as a Witcher is taxing, full of hard decisions and deep-rooted regrets, of gruesome sights and dreadful stories. Plenty of fuel for nightmares. And that’s not even counting the horrors of the Trials and the scars they left behind in his mind.

He sighs again, and secretly he’s glad he didn’t wake Jaskier up. Not that he minds it when the bard rolls over and gathers him in his arms and makes him talk about the nightmares – though that last part isn’t entirely too pleasant. Not that the guilt of waking Jaskier up outweighs the relief of feeling safe and cared for. Not that Jaskier ever holds it against him or brings it up in a malicious way.

Sometimes, he just likes to let Jaskier sleep, is all.

So, he lays there, and closes his eyes again, focusing his hearing on the sound of Jaskier’s even and deep breaths, on the _thump thump thump_ of his certain and comforting heartbeat, on the gentle snores and quiet sniffles.

Or, at least, he tries to.

But he doesn’t hear anything. Nothing but the sound of the forest, alive around him. Nothing but Roach’s gentle snorts and the rustling of leaves in the soft breeze.

He can’t hear any sound coming from Jaskier, even though he’s right next to Geralt.

He can smell the sharp tang of copper.

He feels cold, no longer warmed by Jaskier’s body temperature as he usually is.

He bolts upright, watches as his shaking hand reaches for Jaskier’s shoulder – as if his own body is no longer his – and turns the bard on his back. Jaskier goes willingly, limply, blue eyes open and empty, staring up at the night sky. There are claw marks all across his neck and chest, gaping wounds and blood marring his once so even and soft skin.

Geralt blanches, nearly gags at the smell, and his hand comes up to cover his nose – though, when he lifts it, he finds it suddenly covered in blood, his other hand forming the same sight.

 _He did this._ He stares at his hands in horror, before looking at Jaskier again, and suddenly, blue eyes are alert and trained on him.

“You did this,” Jaskier says, with a voice that’s not entirely his, as blood trickles out of his mouth and down the side of his face. “Monster.”

\---

He gasps awake, bolting upright, his skin soaked in sweat, breath coming in fast gasps as his heart thrums loudly in his ears. It takes a while for him to register a soft voice next to him, whispering soothing words into his ear, and even longer for him to feel the warm hand on his shoulder.

“It’s alright,” Jaskier whispers, thumb rubbing gentle circles into his skin. “Just a nightmare. Deep breaths, Geralt, everything’s alright, it’s alright.”

He nods shakily, running his – thank the gods – clean hands through his hair, before wiping the cold sweat off his face. Then, he lays down again, looking up at the stars. It’s going to be dawn, soon.

Jaskier lays down beside him, gentle hand wiping stray strands of hair out of his face, before trailing down his cheek softly, eventually settling on his shoulder to trace patterns there. “Want to talk about it?”

He shakes his head, as memories of the nightmare force themselves upon him, the imagined stench of blood so overwhelming it nearly makes him gag. “Not today, Jask.”

Jaskier sighs softly next to him. “Can’t you even tell me the gist of it? Just the basics.”

He chews on his bottom lip, only stopping when Jaskier finger bops his chin playfully. “I- I hurt you.”

“You could never hurt me, Geralt.”

“Yes, I could. I did on the mountain.”

“You apologized for that. You can always take it back.”

Geralt chuckles without humour. “Not this. I can’t take this back.”

“ _Couldn’t,_ ” Jaskier corrects him. “You _couldn’t_ take it back. But it didn’t happen. Everything’s fine- I’m fine, and I know you would never do something that bad to me.”

He pushes away the burning feeling that’s nipping at his eyes. “How do you know that?” he whispers.

“Well, you’re scared enough of hurting me that it’s giving you nightmares. That’s how.”

“But- but what if I get cursed? Or what if I accidentally hurt you?”

Jaskier snorts, burying his face in Geralt’s shoulder. “Yeah, sure. And what if Roach grew wings and flew away?”

“I’m being serious.”

“So am I.” He pushes himself up on one elbow to look at Geralt’s face, one finger pushing into his chest. “Geralt, listen to me. There are a billion and one ways I could get hurt. I could fall down a cliff, I could get captured by Nilfgaard, I could get kicked in the head by a cow. And every single one of those billion and one ways is more likely than you ever hurting me beyond repair. Or at least beyond forgiveness. Because I. Will. Always. Forgive. You. Geralt of Rivia.” Every word is accentuated by a small jab of that finger in his chest.

“But what if you die?”

“Then just assume I’m forgiving you beyond the grave.” He frowns, eyes suddenly contemplative. “Did I die in your nightmare?”

Geralt clenches his jaw and nods.

Jaskier shrugs. “Well, I forgive you for killing me in your nightmare.”

“I don’t think that’s how it works, Jaskier,” he says, though he can’t help the small smile that forces its way onto his face, can’t help but feel a little lighter.

“Well,” Jaskier mutters, laying back down, pillowing his head on Geralt’s shoulder, slinging his arm and leg over the Witcher. “Then go back to sleep, and dream of me forgiving you.”

He sighs, lets it be for now. There is no arguing with Jaskier, and the bard’s tone doesn’t merely suggest that the conversation is over – but _demands_ it to be, demands that Geralt goes back to sleep and has a nice dream about Jaskier.

Slowly, little by little, he forces his muscles to relax, melting into Jaskier’s embrace, pulling him closer as both their breathing evens out, their heartbeats regular and calm. And finally, he falls asleep again.

And if he has a dream where he pulls Jaskier close and kisses him softly, then, well, that’s his little secret to keep.

**Author's Note:**

> Tomorrow's prompt is: Isolation! If you want to be notified when tomorrow's fic goes up, don't hesitate to subscribe to the What a Wonderful World Series!
> 
> Also I'm on tumblr, @king-finnigan


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